10 Fun Board Games & Card Games Beyond Just Uno & Monopoly On Amazon That You Should Check Out
In a world brimming with entertainment options, where mobile phones, streaming services, and game consoles vie for our attention, there exists a timeless charm in the simplicity of traditional board and card games. When one of these classics graces a gathering, it wields the remarkable power to unite families and friends, revealing unexpected competitive sides to people — even yourself.
Yet, as technology advances, so do these beloved games. No longer confined to a handful of classics, modern designers have unleashed their creativity, birthing a multitude of captivating options that can leave you wondering what everyone's playing these days. In our quest for the exceptional, we've ventured into Amazon's realm to discover top-rated board and card games that eschew the ordinary – no Uno or Monopoly here – perfect additions to elevate your next house party.
Unleash your inner detective
For those who've drawn the short straw to organise the upcoming staff party, consider Codenames as your ultimate icebreaker. Countless reviews sing its praises as an excellent way to connect with your fellow partygoers. If you’re worried about the game dragging too long, each round is a snappy 15-minute affair.
In Codenames, two participants assume the roles of rival spymasters. Both are privy to the secret identities of 25 agents. Meanwhile, their teammates, the field agents know the agents only by their codenames. The challenge? To make contact with all their assigned agents based on the one-word clues handed down by the cunning spymasters. And yes, there's an assassin lurking in the shadows, because, well, what's a good spy thriller without a touch of danger?
If you love escape rooms, you’ll enjoy this “play at home” version, which comes with cards, a book, a decoder disk, and “strange items”. Of course, the escape room is now completely imaginary, but there are still plenty of riddles to solve and codes to crack with your teammates. You might want to note that each game can only be played once as the game materials will have to be marked, folded, and torn to solve the mystery.
There are numerous versions of the game with different settings. The Polar Station – where you find yourself locked inside a large research facility at the North Pole – has the most ratings at over 19,000, although some reviewers have noted that the puzzles are a little too simple and may be more suited for those who are new to the series.
In The Chameleon, the goal is to fake it till you make it. Players draw code cards, revealing if they know the secret word or are the Chameleon, who has no idea what the secret word is. Everyone will then take turns saying something that proves they’re not The Chameleon since they’re privy to the secret word. Meanwhile, the actual Chameleon observes, crafting responses to blend in.
The Chameleon wins if undetected at the end of the game and loses if they’re caught – but they have a final chance to win if they guess what the secret word is. It's a game where lying is not only forgiven but encouraged.
Ticket To Ride may not look like much from the box alone, but don’t be deceived because this certified favourite has 4.9 out of five stars from over 23,000 ratings. Don’t play play hor — or actually, do play play because reviewers can’t seem to get over great it is, describing it as a strategy game that’s both easy to understand and play but also challenging enough to be engaging.
In this tabletop cross-country train adventure, players embark on a journey to collect and deploy matching train cards, securing railway routes that connect diverse cities within a chosen country or region. Whether you're exploring North America, Japan, or Europe (depending on your version), the goal remains the same: longer routes earn more points, and the person with the highest number of total points will be declared victorious.
Cute and quirky
TeeTurtle Unstable Unicorns
We hate to disappoint but that unicorn plushie in the photos is not included in the game. Regardless, there’s enough cuteness to go around in this card game. The aim can be summed up in one simple sentence: be the first player to get all seven unicorn cards. However, what’s not so simple is that everyone else has the same goal and will do everything in their power to stop you.
According to one reviewer, a round of Unstable Unicorns can go on for hours and gets even longer (and rowdier we can imagine) if there are more players. So if the ‘more the merrier’ is what you’re looking for in a card game, this is it.
Disney Villainous: Wicked To The Core
Most of us grew up rooting for the heroes and heroines in classic Disney tales, but Wicked To The Core wil have players stepping into the shoes of iconic Disney villains like Hades or the Evil Queen, each with their own distinct objectives. As these famous villains, you’ll scheme your way through the game by setting traps, unleashing curses, and other dastardly deeds to reach your objective.
Be careful, though — there’s also a deck that contains the protagonists, which others can use to thwart your progress in the game. Take a chance and root for the bad guy for once!
In this very niche game, players become bird enthusiasts, aiming to attract a diverse array of feathered friends to their own personal wildlife preserves. Sounds easy but there are so many other layers to it as well – during their turn, players gather resources, including food and bird cards, to create habitats and populate them with various bird species. Each bird card has its own unique abilities, and players compete to build the most impressive bird collection and secure ultimate victory.
The reviews agree that the game is worth playing for its beautifully and intricately designed board game. If you’re hooked, there are also expansion packs that focus on birds in different regions like Asia and Oceania.
A twist on familiar favourites
The Game of Life: Super Mario Edition
Everybody loves crossovers, whether in superhero movies or fashion collections. There’s loads of them in the world of board games too, such as this mash-up between The Game of Life and Super Mario. While the original Game of Life focuses on earning money and Life tiles, this version is more similar to Super Mario in terms of its gameplay and ultimate goal.
Choose to play as Mario, Luigi, Peach or Yoshi as you journey through the Mushroom Kingdom collecting coins, powering up, and playing mini-games as you make your way towards your final challenge of defeating the baddie Bowser. Reviews say that kids love this game, making it an ideal pick for family nights, as well as how it provides a nice twist to the OG.
Exploding Kittens NSFW version
With over 50,000 ratings on Amazon, it’s safe to say that the original Exploding Kittens Card Game isn’t exactly an under-the-radar pick, but did you know that there’s an NSFW version if you want something more spicier? Though judging from the 15,900 ratings, it’s slowly catching up in terms of popularity.
Like its predecessor, the cards feature illustrations by The Oatmeal and have the same goal, which is to avoid drawing the titular Exploding Kitten or using the other cards in your arsenal to save yourself from exploding and losing the game. The only difference is that the NSFW version has more not-so-kid-friendly illustrations of things like cartoon gore and nudity. So you might wanna hide this from the little ones at home.
This is neither a board game nor a card game but we had to include it because it’s so darn cool. Unlike the OG, this has no mats and no physical contact between players, but it’s still plenty challenging and will test not just your flexibility but also your balance.
After downloading the free Twister Air app, set up your device on the included stand. Then, strap on the wrist and ankle bands and begin moving your body to match the bands to the coloured spots that start popping up on the screen — hit the most spots to get the highest score. And remember to have your phones ready to start recording everyone’s moves for the laughs.
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